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Joint Replacement
Elective surgery can relieve
bone pain
By Jean Jeffers, Staff Writer
Joint replacement is a popular type
of elective surgery designed for those
suffering from pain in the joints. The
surgery may relieve pain caused by
damage to the cartilage at the ends
of the bones, arthritis, fractures and
other conditions. After surgery, the
patient is usually able to use the joint
in normal fashion. While the joint
never returns to full use, it works well
enough for activities of daily living.
Today there are a wide variety
of joint replacement possibilities,
including shoulder, wrist, elbow, hip,
knee and ankle replacement. Some
of these joint replacement options
are only now coming into effective
and widespread use. In total joint
replacement, all or part of a damaged joint is replaced with a metal,
plastic or ceramic prosthetic device.
The prosthesis does the same work
as a normal, healthy joint. Knee joint
replacement surgery, first performed
in 1968, is touted as one of the most
successful surgeries in all of medicine.
Joint replacement involves major
surgery and is not without risks.
Infection may occur in the wound
or deep around the artificial implant
soon after surgery or even years
later. Treatment of the infection
often requires not only antibiotics
but another surgery. Warning signs
of infection include persistent fever,
chills, increased redness, tenderness and swelling of the extremity,
increased drainage and persistent
pain.
Another possible complication is
deep vein thrombosis (DVT), the
formation of a thrombus (blood clot)
within a deep vein, commonly in
the thigh or calf. The thrombus may
partially or completely block blood
flow through the vein with resultant
chronic swelling and pain. Both
mechanical and/or drug therapies
are used as preventative measures for
DVT. These reduce the incidence of
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